Video Vault

Saddle time was pretty non-existant during the week last week as one thing led to another combining to keep me out of the tack for the week - to be honest; I doubt the girls minded much especially as they got at new grass on Tuesday evening.
Thankfully I made up for this over the weekend with four fab spins, one each on each day. Starting with Nancy on both occasions as Kika spun on the walker.

(All videos in the post were kindly taken by my mother during Sunday's spin - I am still technologically challenged and haven't figured out how to get rid of sound. It may be best to watch these with computers on mute ;) )

Video I - warming up trot work after N had a brief coughing fit. 

It happens from time to time when we start trot work - doesn't last long, I think it may just be dusty for her when she is used to spending so much time out in the fresh air - happens to Kika the odd time too.

Saturday Nancy & I focused on working our walk, trot & halt.
We are getting better at walk but still struggling with our halts. I feel like I am doing something wrong, but I can't pinpoint what it is in the moment. I don't think I am sinking my weight into the saddle, but doing something really stupid and tensing my body in the wrong places for some unknown reason - I'm still hopeful of getting lessons when the new trainer gets back from her holiday (note-to-self: check when that is!) and have trained eyes on the ground to help me sort myself out.

Video II - trot work on our slightly stronger side

In the mean time I am going to work more voice commands into my ridden work, she responds well to the "slow down" cue sound so I shall attempt to incorporate that into my halting process and start doing more lunge work to brush up on our voice command knowledge.

 Video III - cute serpentine caught on film, am quite happy with this.

Saturday Kika was an absolute star for our second spin in the Ogilvy, she didn't put a hoof out of line as i worked through walk, trot, canter & halt exercises while changing rein, bend & serpentining back and forth across the arena. The same cannot be said for our spin on Sunday when we had someone on hand to film us - but that's just the way the cookie crumbles sometimes eh?
Most likely a mental undoing on my part as i typically put more pressure on myself and then by consequence ride like a pillock the day after i have a good spin. Kika videos will follow in a post tomorrow as it would be a total youtube overload if i shared them all in this post...#sorrynotsorry

Video IV - a semi decent capture of our bad side canter

Most of Nancy's Sunday spin is being documented in the videos accompanying this post - thank you Mama mia!
After the initial canter in the above video, which was our first right lead canter (my and by consequence her bad side), which went well with a correct strike off etc - it was then followed by a period captured in the following video - wherein I could not set her up properly to strike off on the right lead.

Video V - please excuse my petulant whining during bits of this clip. 

I was tempted to cut it out as I hate the sound of my own voice & the fact that I am being petty and blaming my poor horse for my shortcomings. But i must learn from my mistakes and we will work on suppling up both our right sides.

I have been told in the past that I am all sorts of crooked on this side and am probably all over to one side and tensing making an inside bend improbable for her and as such a correct lead strike off almost impossible. I keep saying that I must get myself straightened out by a chiro, physio osteo of my own - yet still haven't gotten my act in gear to make an appointment *hangs-head-in-shame*
However we did get there on our combined bad side as evidenced in Video VI and a nice canter on our better side in Video VII shows just what my "little" Nancybelle is capable of when her rider isn't getting in her way.

Video VI - I hadn't noticed Nancy's contributions during the ride 

until i heard my mother giggling in this video.

Kika was Kika, she kept making my smile during our spin with her continuous questions and ongoing conversation with me as to whether I really meant what I was asking of her. Having just watched the snippets of video my mother captured of us, it really doesn't look too shabby considering how little work we've strung together this summer. I was perhaps a little harsh on her in my thoughts immediately after our spin as she hadn't been as relaxed and smooth as Saturday's spin - but there was a storm brewing outside and I know I was slightly distracted and on edge pending it's arrival so I am sure this transmitted to her and contributed to a bit more tension on her part.
I would have loved to have been able to see our work on Saturday as it felt lovely on the day - but as is often the way with me. When one day goes well I seem to put unconscious pressure on myself to do as well or better the next day and I rarely succeed - but we didn't go backwards and that in itself is a major positive to take from the day.

 Video VII - left lead canter

Again I am super hopeful that I can organise with the trainer sooner rather than later and perhaps string a lesson plan together so that I can have help from the ground and goals to work towards. :)

Take-aways from these videos:

1. Shorten my reins MOAR - if I think I have them short chances are I don't so I should shorten them again.

2. Lift my hands off her withers/neck, turn my thumbs up and carry them better while bending my elbows - shortening the reins should also facilitate resolution of the poker-elbow issue.

3. I need to put more weight down into my left ankle - the right is borderline ok - but the left is ridiculously awful!

4. I could also do with moving my legs back a smidge - more under me...less armchair.

5. Sit straighter - I look slightly tipped forward - legs back might help this.

6. Help Nancy to carry herself better - she can sneak btv at times.

7. Open to suggestions ;-) - Please help me help myself

Video VIII relaxing cool down to stretch trot

PS: I was riding in my new helmet for the first time in this video - I wasn't sure about the fit so had left the tags on - hence the weird white things by my face *blush*
I had my "old" helmet on hand on the side to swap in case the new one was too small and would give me a headache.
Needless to say the new one fit fine and I took the tags off after the spin - yay for new helmetage & melon protection *grin*

Crazy?

Am i Horse crazy or just plain crazy?

I may need my head examined after getting soaked changing the fencing on the girls paddock in a downpour with a sprinkling of thunder and lightning...

Sky just before the heavens opened this evening

I have been waiting for rain for the last week and a half as the ground was way too hard for me to drive the plastic stakes.

Nancy keeps an eye on me as Kika cozies up to N for her tail/fly-swat

I hope the girls don't spend the night stuffing themselves and get tummy aches 😕

Fingers crossed!

Photos are from Tuesday night as I picked 7 wheelbarrows of poop from other half of the field. I shall have to finish cleaning that side and collect whatever offerings they give me on new half of field.

PS: Kika's liver got the all clear from the vet so phew!

VCMBH - Chock Full of Advice

The magical genius that is L @VivaCarlos has struck again with another brain tickler of a question to get blog-tongues wagging & fingers a-typing.

What is the best advice you've ever received from a Trainer or another rider? What is the worse advice you've received from a Trainer or another rider?

The best advice I've been given was by my first riding instructor (my legendary aunt/godmother):

"Look up where you want to go, if you look down at the ground that's where you'll end up"

She is totally right, to this day, whenever I feel my horses drifting randomly underneath me - if I check myself and focus on where I am looking, usually not straight ahead of me (another nasty bad habit); as soon as I reprimand myself and get my eyeline where it should be the horse "magically" improves...honestly it's not rocket science - I just wish my brain & body would cooperate more.
Practice, practice, practice is the only answer here i think.

KikaChiquita from osteo visit on 22.7.2014 

The worst advice I have been given thus far was from a "professional" saddle fitter who i will NEVER EVER use again. It is such a pity he is the only Albion retailer in this neck of the woods *sob*
Long time followers of this blog will surely remember the troubles I had with Miss Kika & rearing. Well it turned out the saddle this guy sold me & i had checked by him multiple times, never fit & the only way she could let me know when i missed all the earlier clues was to full on rear.
Admittedly, she later took this evasion tactic further as she realised she had managed to scare me and could get out of doing things she found "hard" - the root of the problem remains that the saddle never fit her & it should never have been sold to me as such.
Because he was (is) a renowned saddle fitter, the one recommended by the main trainer at our yard and used by many other livery owners & riders at our yard; I persevered with the ill-fitting saddle not knowing it was ill-fitting as Kika got progressively worse and downright cranky & sour. I had her teeth checked, osteo out - they though it could be kissing spines, so i had x-rays done...thankfully cleared. I gave her time off, brought her back slowly etc etc yet the rearing problem persisted & I ran out of people offering to help me and I had to fend for myself till the Guru took pity on me and came to my aid.
Although I am far from the only person to have had a sour experience this saddler, and no one is perfect. No one professional suits everyone - this guy certainly did not help me despite my asking him multiple times to check the saddle fit as i wasn't sure it was working out - at the end of the day he is the professional...what did i know?!

Another Nancy shot from 22.7.2014

Sorry - i shouldn't have started on this topic, it is a big chip on my shoulder & cross of guilt that i must bear for potentially permanently damaging my mare whose go-to defence/evasion tactic became rearing thanks to ill-fitting tack. It makes me so mad that this whole thing could possibly have been avoided & that even professionals can't be trusted to have the clients best interests at heart ... just makes me sad. :(

Ogilvy Overload - Photo Dump

I finally played with my 3 month old Ogilvy for the first time today.

Apologies in advance for the massive photo dump accompanying this post, I got a bit snap happy in my desire to document our first foray with the Ogilvy.

I will do a proper review when I've played with it some more ;-)
Although i will say initially that I am impressed with how the OG starts out so thick and them compresses itself & moulds to your horse's shape. I know it says so on the tin - but to witness it in person is pretty cool. When i first sat it on her back I was afraid it was going to make her saddle fit way worse...and we know how sensitive Miss Kika is about her back being squished - a martyr she is not. Any whiff of a back ouchie and she will let me know about it by either rearing or threatening to.

First time sitting on it - prior to any girth tightening

As instructed i just closed the girth on the first wholes to keep the saddle in place while i got on. So that my weight in the saddle could help the pad properly mould between her back and the saddle.

I got off and straightened it under saddle after this photo was taken.

 We then walked around slowly tightening the girth as we warmed up before trotting a bit and tightening it to its usual closures.

Post spin...

Kika & I had plenty ups and downs during our spin, as per norm. We had plenty good moments, but lots of tense moments too where we had issues bending and getting choppy in our trot - although again better than yesterday...every little helps.

I need to center it better before getting on.

However at no stage did the toys get thrown out of the pram by either of us - which was great.
Maybe we are both finally maturing ;-)

Her giraffe impression due to flies bugging her
(no pun intended)

There was a moment during the spin where "old" Kika would've pitched a fit and either threatened to rear or full blown stood up.

Post workout sweaty abused pony.
A picture is worth a thousand words - that martyred face (top)

A long way from being slim-lined...
but getting better & a little less blimp-like

I don't know if she has fully matured or if the Ogilvy helped keep the pressure off her back.

Sexy Back?! Hah!
Sweaty mess more like - I shall have to ride without OG
& get comparison pix.

I shall keep playing with the pad & Kika to see how we get on with it.
Nancy got the day off to chillax in the field while I digest & mull over K's and my spin with the Ogilvy. I will say that when we started trotting I could feel a difference as the shock absorption worked between us. However as my attention more towards our work and less to cushion between my butt & her back as we got into random little discussions about choppy strides, tenseness & lack of bend - i forgot to focus on OG effect...She was far from bad - just distracted & not really concentrating on what I was asking of her, preferring to keep her gaze outside making it more difficult to soften and bend towards the inside rein - baby steps and we'll work at it, we both need to relax and roll with the punches.
Sadly we are too alike in our stubbornness and allow one to sucker the other into arguments - I am slowly getting better at letting go, changing the question to distract us both and relax again before re-trying.
One day - we might get better ;-)

Friday Flashback V

It is hard to know where to start with this offering as I have a few different things i want to squeeze into this post #sorrynotsorry - consider this your warning before the impending waffly madness.
Abort now if you so wish - i will be none the wiser and you will probably feel much better for it ;-)
Photos in this post are part Friday Flashback - part my exciting new toys.

First photographic evidence I have of my jumping,
 circa Summer 1995

As those of you who follow me on instagram saw earlier my new helmet arrived today; and would you believe I am currently sitting here at the laptop in my parents living room wearing it while typing this post. Yes I am slightly cuckoo & could probably do with getting my head examined for this madness - but in the long run it will be protected, lol, mad or no...
I think i mentioned in an earlier post that I ordered it in a size smaller than I have previously bought my helmets -which was quite risky as I have never tried on a CO before and had no idea how it would fit. But (a) the store i was ordering from didn't have the size i would've ordered & (b) my two previous helmets got looser the longer i had them and would end up tipping over my eyes - so i took an executive educated (and mitigated as they didn't have the other size) decision and ordered the lovely Leather Look Ayr8 on sale as part of #mindyourmelon Helmet Awareness week.

All important question for my shy-selfie...
Do i look like a mushroom/melon-head?

Anyways, I decided to wear it around the house with the tags still on in the hopes of finding out if the size/fit is correct without dirtying it at the barn; so that if necessary I can send it back & exchange it for another size. So far so good, although I don't know how long i shall carry out this experiment....it all depends on how long i can stop myself from ripping off the tags & using it at the yard as i love it!
All going well I will do a proper review later...

In actual equine news:
I rode Nancy yesterday on my day off - she was excellent despite us only working on walk/trot/halt transitions while Kika spun in the walker - she was on Day-2 of her recommended Rest & Recovery (R&R) from osteo appointment on Tuesday. Sadly, I did not manage to schedule a lesson with the new trainer yesterday as she had too many horses to exercise ahead of her day of competing today. Which was a big pity for me, especially as she is going on holidays next week, so I will just have to bide my time & be patient - my time will come. Who knows this is probably a blessing in disguise as I can hopefully knock a few more pounds off the girls and get them fitter in the mean time...I spent my lunch break at the barn today (check out my #barnyardchic outfit of paddock boots & silk work skirt) as the vet came to take bloods from K for a check up on her liver - she is looking like a Chiquita Banana these days, which I am hoping is just sun-bleaching - but as her jaundiced look two summers ago was actually a liver issue (Click here for pix & back-story). I would rather be safe than sorry.

#barnyardchic no?

I went back to the yard after work and had the time to work them both in the evening. For a change of pace I started with Kika as I hadn't ridden her since Sunday's mini-pole work session. She was a super star despite not having spent an hour on the walker beforehand. She started out woefully uneven in trot on our bad rein - i loosened the reins to her and did a couple of big looping figure of eights to see if she would work out of it or if something had been pinched during her osteo treatment - thankfully she worked out of it and we had our best spin since coming back to the yard. Our previous spins haven't been bad, in any way shape or form - but this one was particularly good. We got excellent powerful short bursts of canter work on each rein and some flashes of nice relaxed trot work. Overall our trotting work was much less choppy than previous spins - after the initial awkwardness as we warmed up.
During this spin i realised that we have a lot of work to do on our walk full stop. The walk is something, I have never really focused on - I know BAD ME! But for so long K was so unpredictable that all i wanted to do was get her going and keep her going forwards without giving her the opportunity to stand up. We are now (knock-on-wood) hopefully passed that stage, or at least I feel better equipped to head her off at the pass if she decides to attempt that evasion technique.
So now i can go back to basics & focus on the walk and really try to get her striding in the walk like we have been working on her trot work - she has to relax in everything she does, let go and release her back. baby steps and we will get there, silly sod carries so much tension and resists working properly that she literally ties herself in knots.
I think we are now finally in a place in our partnership when (with the help of lessons) i hope to finally address these shortcomings and wholes in both our eq-cation and really get things going in the right direction once and for all.

Neither of these fab splurges have been near the yard,
but soon young grasshoppers...soon

Nancy was also very good, although I really could have used that lesson on her yesterday as my bad side & her bad side are teaming up and making things difficult for our communication while on the right rein & attempting to bend - mixed messages are happening & i want to sort it out on my end asap before i potentially sour her & or hurt her with my bad riding.
I know 95% of our problem is me - but she is also resisting and not meeting me part of the way...welcome to the teenage years of our partnership ;-)
Methinks a hack in the woods & just getting out of the arenas and our own headspace is on the agenda for this weekend if at all possible. We both need a change of scenery & Kika can come along for the walk as the more that girl can do the better it will be for her joints & belly-loss!

Properly Pampered Ponies

"Us - Pampered? ... We think not!"

The girls have been thoroughly spoiled of late.
- Pedicures Friday (Pampering session I),
- Spa day Sunday (Pampering session II);
and
- Tuesday evening they both got a rub down, touch up, fine - tuning from the osteo.
They really have it bad...Poor dears

Hard Knock Life for my girls (not my image - LINK)

I called the osteo as under saddle Kika has been losing her back end randomly in arena work. I wasn't sure if this was due to muscle wastage from the months of little work earlier in the spring/summer or if she was after knocking something out in her hind end.

The osteo (B) assured me her back & hind were muscled enough to support work. I personally think there is an insulation layer of fat playing tricks on the eye of the beholder. 😜
B did say that one of her hips was skewed - Yay instincts standing to me. K got her whole spine worked on from poll to tail & has garnered herself a further 2 days "rest". She will however still be spending time on the walker when I ride Nancy as i don't want to leave her in the field on her own.

Nancy also got a bit of a rub down, although thankfully didn't have anything out or sore. She had so few adjustments that B said she can stay in ridden work - maybe I will be able to have my first lesson this week after all!
I had cancelled it as S (new trainer) is competing on Friday and with osteo visit last night i knew if the girls had work done they'd need 2 to 3 days recovery after manipulations. However I'm hopeful of getting Thursday afternoon off work and getting a lesson.
Fingers crossed!!

NancyBelle

Nancy also cemented her place in another person's heart as B kept gushing over her calm & sweet disposition. N should run for politics - she would sweep all before her the way she wins people to her cause 😉
No photos of N getting worked on as she had so little done! Blink & you'd miss it type stuff...

KikaChiquita
(cos she's Banana yellow)

Finally, I'm shutting up after this - Promise!
Funny story, I have taken to plaiting my fringe back to keep it out of my eyes/face while i am growing my hair out. I fasten said plait with Kirby grips...I have lost THREE while doing the girls feet as they swish their tales at flies above my head and somehow catch in the clips and whip them out. I check their tales to try and find the clips but no dice!
I don't know what they do with them, flick them away like missiles at the flies?!

VCMBH - Stalker

L. Williams & Thad the Unicorn set an impossible task last week - to pick one (max 5) of the bloggers I follow *ahem* stalk - that I would like to meet.

L's challenge: What Equestrian Blogger out there do you really want to meet? (If you have more then 1 I will allow you to list up to 5!)

Sort of - LINK

I am going to cheat just smidge and group my favourite neighbourly bloggers together in the vain hope of adhering to the 5 max limit :p
Without further ado - in no particular order:

The Californian Gang:
The chief instigator - L. Williams
Karley @All In, Kat @A Horse is A Horse
I would love to meet up with these guys for so many reasons - namely I'd be killing many birds with one stone, I really want to visit Cali & i have been stalking these three ladies blogs for so long I would dearly love to meet the main players in Ramona, Henry, Grayson & Holly! Not to mention I think their trainer Irene sounds scary awesome!

Those lucky Kentuckian based gals:
Allie @WovenWeb who i have known forever and have been dying to meet for years, we are totally organising a Rolex and/or KY Derby outing with L!
Hillary @EquestrianAtHart & K @KissMeI'mIrish go hand in hand for me, i would love to meet them Huey, Sonny & Timmers!
Lyndsey + Wiz & Amanda + Loki are also on the to visit list if i make it to Kentucky ever!
And although she is sadly no longer currently based in Kentucky I still think she is, so Miss Em & her gorgeous Haffy's fall into my Kentuckian dream team.

The "Racers"
These ladies have such an amazing cast of characters to their blogs, it would be a dream to be able to meet any & all of them! SprinklerBandits, Redheadlins & Jodi @RacingtoRide (would be awesome to stalk her from track to track)


There are so many more bloggers I would dearly love to meet - but i shall limit myself to one more group...The Texans!
Lauren @SheMovedToTexas, Amanda @900facebookpony - my latest obsession, although meeting her would deffinitely have dire consequences on my wallet! TheWorkingRider cracks me up something fierce - love following her adventures! Who could visit Texas without seeing Jenj, Paddington, Cash & the jousting Red @WynvernOaks?!
Bad Eventer is another of my Texas based blog-crushes!

I think I've done really well to limit myself to four groups *ahem*
And of course no trip stateside would be complete without seeing the following ladies - Beka @TheOwlsApprove, G & Prairie + family, fellow friesian lover @EquestrianJourney & Jess & her fab boys wherever the HopefulJumpers settle next. And of course who wouldn't want to meet the wise beyond her years Mare & Missy!

And lastly, sticking closer to home I would dearly love to meet the super generous C @EquestrianTrend - although like 900fbpony, SB, Gingham & Hillary - that meeting would be disastrous for my bank balance!

LINK

I know i have totally cheated - but i couldn't narrow it down any further - I blame it on my starsign!

There are so many more I would sell a kidney to meet - but I had to censor the list somehow!


Oops - i dithered too long and can't add my link to the widget - but here are the others who aren't indecisive slow coaches like me!